A 12-year-old girl was abducted, gagged and tied up and subjected to brutal physical and sexual assault for almost 30 minutes by a gang of six minor boys near K R Puram railway station on 10 July, as reported by Bangalore Mirror. However, the Ramamurthy police station has denied filing an FIR under the hard-hitting Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses (POSCO) Act dismissing the entire case to be that of ‘eve-teasing’ in spite of medical reports stating it to be a case of assault.

“We went to Ramamurthy Nagar police station on 11 July. A policeman wrote down what we had told him and asked us to sign. He gave us a slip of paper as an acknowledgment. We were under the impression it was a FIR copy, but we came to know it was not a FIR after ten days,” said the survivor’s mother to Bangalore Mirror.

The survivor and her parents, who are daily wage labourers, were hell-bent on getting justice. However, they have been subjected to a lot of harassment by the police.

The ordeal they were put through

The family had to make multiple trips to the police station since the day of the incident but each time the police skirted the issue claiming that they would teach the accused a lesson without arresting him.

The family was made to sit for long hours at the police station, on one occasion till 11:30 and the survivor had repeatedly been questioned by male officers about the details of the accident – it was only for a brief period that a female police officer talked to her.

The police later ended up arresting two people who were not involved in the case. Even though the girl had already identified the culprits through a Facebook photograph, the police did not pay any heed to her.

Speaking to the Bangalore Mirror, a former state public prosecutor, S Doreraju slammed the police for not immediately registering a case of rape and aggravated sexual assault under the Pocso Act, as also for not collecting material evidence from the crime scene, and subjecting the survivor to a medical examination.

“If a male officer has questioned the girl, it is again illegal. According to the Pocso Act, a female officer should assist the investigating officer, and only she should ask the girl. The parents or the girl shouldn’t have been kept in the police station for that long. Instead, the police should have met them in a private place in plain clothes,” Doreraju added.

Kripa Amar Alva, the chairperson of the Karnataka State Commission for Protection of Child Rights, told Bangalore Mirror, “We have already taken cognizance of the case and will record the girl’s statement before moving ahead.”

The police have, however, claimed that the delay in registering an FIR was because of the misleading and changing statements that the girl was giving to the police. They also said that it was not the girl but the survivor’s mother who was called to the police station to verify the reports. She did not want to come in late so the concerned police officer S R Chandradara went to their place and took her statement.

Photos of the NCR issued by the police on 11 July; and the medical certificate, dated July 10, stating that she was assaulted by six people

The Logical Indian community staunchly condemns the apathetic attitude of the police on a sensitive issue like this. It has been highly inappropriate on the part of the officials to put the survivor and her family through such a traumatic experience. In spite of the existence of a law like Posco, the harassment of the family is unacceptable. We urge the concerned authorities to sit up and take immediate actions in this case so that the accused do not go scot-free.

Partner Story

This Mother’s Day, Let Us Make A Real Difference In Our Mother’s Life

“All that I am, or hope to be, I owe to my angel mother.” – Abraham Lincoln

Mothers play a crucial role in our lives. Since we were little, they held our hands, acting as our guide into the world. They took care of all our needs – from teaching us how to hold a spoon, cooking delicious meals for us, dropping us to school and sitting with us while we struggled with our math homework – mothers have been there through thick and thin.

On the special occasion of Mother’s Day, Friends Adult Diapers has a beautiful message for each of us – treat your mother the way she has treated you all her life.

It was our mothers who stayed up all night taking care of us when we fell sick; it was her who help us with our homework. This Mother’s Day, remember to take care and support your mother the way she took care of you all these years.

The minds and bodies of our ageing parents dwindle as they grow even older, and somewhere in the incoherence of understanding their thoughts, children lose patience. They spend less and less time with their parents and hire others to look after them. A study by HelpAge India gives accounts of the elderly, most of whom testify to verbal abuse, neglect and disrespect by their children. Old people rely on their children for both emotional and financial support but, often times are not given the needed care.

There is little difference in how we were as toddlers and how parents are as senior citizens. They couldn’t understand the gibber we uttered then, yet taught us different languages. We were financially dependent on them till at least 18 years of age yet, they never said no to giving us pocket money. Why cannot we echo the same patience our parents showed for so many years?

Our parents have an unconditional love for us. They made sure all our needs are cared for and we never feel alone. When we grow up and our parents enter old age, they require the same care and affection. They would be delighted if we spent time with them after classes or work, make tea or cook for them and also help them with household chores when they have too many things at hand.

It is our responsibility to stand with our parents when they are weak; it is our responsibility to cook for them when they are too tired, and it is our responsibility to take care of them when they fall sick.

Mother’s Day is a celebration in honour of motherhood, a tribute to maternal bonds and the influence of mothers in society. Let us make a real difference by showing how much we truly care for our mothers.

Friends Adult Diapers has taken a wonderful initiative in this regard. The most precious gift for a mother is her child. So why not take this as an opportunity to shower her with the same love? After all, she deserves it for being with you through every obstacle and every hardship that you faced.